Brynhildr in the Darkness (Manga/Anime Series)
Brynhildr in the Darkness ( 極黒のブリュンヒルデ Gokukoku no Brynhildr, lit. "Extreme-Black Brynhildr" ) is a Weekly Young Jump series of 181 chapters, whose run officially ended as of April 2016. Development The manga is written and drawn by Lynn Okamoto and began serialization in January of 2012 and ended its run in Weekly Young Jump on March 31st, 2016. Its first bound volume was released May 18th, 2012, and all 18 volumes have been published as of May 2016. The story marks a return to Science Fiction and Horror themes like those found in Elfen Lied and is the second of his stories to be made into an anime adaptation. On April 6th, 2014, ARMS, the same studio that animated Elfen Lied, began airing a 13-episode anime adaptation on the Tokyo MX TV station. The anime also has an OVA episode that was released on September 24th, 2014. The English dub was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 6, 2015 by Sentai Filmworks. Plot When he was a young boy, Ryouta Murakami wished more than anything to be a researcher for NASA in order to find the aliens his dear friend Kuroneko wanted to see. One day, Kuroneko admitted to meeting an alien and told him she'd take him to go meet the alien as well, but while trying to save Ryouta's life, Kuroneko perished. Though heartbroken at his friend's demise, Ryouta swore he would continue aiming for employment with NASA, not to find aliens but to honor his childhood friend. One day, a girl named Neko Kuroha transfers to his high school, who Ryouta is shocked to see looks exactly like Kuroneko would if she were older. Shortly after her arrival, Ryouta's life is thrown into a disarray as he learns of Neko's true nature as a "Witch" who's being chased by a secretive organization. Neko is only one of countless girls kidnapped and turned into these Witches, all of whom possess supernatural powers thanks to the organization's experiments. Feeling a connection to Kuroha since she resembles his dearly departed friend, Ryouta lends his smarts to helping her and other refugee Witches avoid recapture and certain death by those who created them, knowing full well he'll be killed as well if they're caught. A Wiki has been established for the series. Trivia * In Chapter 10/Episode Four of Brynhildr in the Darkness, Ryouta and Neko's class takes a trip to Kamakura, resulting in several shots of incredibly familiar sights and places such as Gokurakuji Station, the Sasuke Inari Shrine, and Enoshima Island. * In addition to the above, Gokurakuji Station features some changes since it last appeared in Elfen Lied. In Brynhildr's shots, it now possesses an incline for ease of access for elderly and handicapped people, reflecting the addition of the incline in real life. * Mamiko Noto, Yuka's Seiyu, is the only member of Elfen Lied's Japanese cast to return to voice a character for the Brynhildr in the Darkness anime. The English cast features Kira Vincent-Davis, Nancy Novotny, and Blake Shepard returning to voice characters. * Kana Tachibana, one of the main characters, resembles Mariko in both hairstyle and clothing after a certain plot point in the manga. Similarly, due to Okamoto's art style, Ryouta himself resembles both Yuka and Nono from Nononono due to his hairstyle. * The most common way for Witches to die is for their body to melt, much like Lucy's final fate at the end of the manga. *Saori, one of the "Witches," possesses an ability to cut people/objects to shreds within a three-meter radius, but unlike Vectors, her power doesn't manifest through hand-shaped phantom limbs. In the manga, objects are merely shown as being sliced up by thin air, whereas in the anime, this power manifests as a circular aura around her body. Saori is also voiced by Kira Vincent-Davis in the English dub, furthering the throwback to Lucy. Gallery Saori2.png|Saori, the walking Lucy shoutout. Brynhildrstairs.png|The famous stairs, with the cemetery and Yuigahama in the distance. Brynhildrstation.png|Gokurakuji Station. Brynhildrinarishrine.png|Sasuke Inari Shrine. Enoshima.png|Neko and Ryouta look out at the ocean with Enoshima Island in the background. A certain observation tower looms in its skyline. Category:Lynn Okamoto's Other Works Category:Anime Category:Manga Category:Article